Machine learning and artificial intelligence help robots become smarter and more aware of their surroundings, so that they can work on their own. As they become more independent and can make the decisions on their own, productivity should improve. But at the same time that robots are becoming more versatile, they are also becoming more complex. A different technician skill set will be needed. In the past robots were primarily programmed by engineers or technicians, and the programming defined very specifically what the robot could do. Now we have much better software, so as some tasks are assumed by robots, new tasks in robot maintenance and programming will evolve. And hopefully technicians can upskill to meet these new technological challenges.